Trials and Tribulations
by Blackfire 18
Summary: From humble beginnings where Wakka and Lulu share a bed, arguments through the forest, and other tribulations, Lulu now walks alone until she stumbles upon Auron. They share a deep conversation until an uninvited guest arrives. Lulu's odd behavior is...
1. Four Rooms, Seven Guardians

**Trials and Tribulations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, nor any of the characters there within.**

The air outside was absolutely frigid. Lulu's lips might have been blue if they had not been painted purple first. The party had been moving with a dragging pace, not much for Lulu's taste, especially in this type of weather. The road, which she held traveled twice before on separate pilgrimages, had not much changed.

_Has not changed much at all._

Lulu thought, deftly skirting past a particulary large patch of ice that was mostly hidden under a thin layer of snow, and which Wakka promptly slipped on in her wake. The others laughed at his folly, except for the black mage, the legendary guardian, and the usually silent Ronso. Lulu might have laughed, had she not been so cold.

The Ronso quietly took it upon himself to right the stumbling red head when Tidus failed to help Wakka up and slipped himself. Yuna and Rikku found the events highly amusing and eventually a small smile tugged at the corners of Lulu's lips. She would never forget how Wakka's legs went up into the air, or Tidus eyes get so large as his legs slipped out from under him.

Of course, comedies did not long occupy the mind when cold was a constant companion. Patience wore thin amidst the group, which only sharpened Lulu's curt tongue.

"Jeez, it's cold, ya?" Wakka grumbled jokingly, trying to make light of the weather and terrain, but Lulu failed to see the humor in it.

"That's the fifth time you've said that, and complaining about it is not going to help the current conditions. You should have spent your money on a coat instead of yet another brand of blitzball when the ones you already have are in fine working order." She snapped, the chill in her voice one to match the ice around them.

"Aw, but Lu!" Wakka tried to explain his means behind buying the spiky blue and white weapon and found he could not place the right words. Tidus piped up for him and perhaps unwisely so.

"It's a blitzball thing, Lulu, we players just love to have one handy." He offered cheerfully. Lulu turned her crimson eyes to him unabashed.

"I hardly think that lugging around seven blitzballs is neither cost nor traveling efficient, and Wakka is now a _retired_ blitzball player, he should have need for only one weapon to fight off enemies. And you should not be encouraging each other to babble on about the games when you should be focused on this pilgrimage!"

Lulu seemed ready to continue the rather one sided debate when Yuna appeared at her elbow and ferried the mage forward, speaking quickly about nothing in particular, while the two blitzball players looked down in shame and shuffled their feet. Rikku bounded after Yuna and Lulu, and Kimarhi walked silently past; though Tidus halted Auron before he could drift by.

"What do you think Auron, about the blitzballs?"

"I think she's right." He said after a moment's thought, and followed the others. Tidus shrugged at Wakka and they too trailed after the group.

The remainder of the trip lapsed in silence.

* * *

Happiness (and warmth) was found at last in an Al bhed traveler's agency; which the group picked up their feet at last to the promise of rest and a warm meal. And with night falling and temperatures dropping rapidly, even Wakka did not argue the questionable origin of the agency.

Warmth came as a blast when the company entered the doors, as did some contended sighs. Fires crackled pleasantly in the hearths, a few furs adorned the walls and the floors, and ice skates hung on the walls from wooden pegs. Though Lulu doubted they would have time to ice skate, she sighed softly as Rikku seemed to take a real interest in the bladed shoes.

Auron had edged past the group for the front desk and was asking about rooms. The woman at the counter smiled sadly as her eyes moved over the party.

"We only have four rooms available, sir."

The legendary guardian stared at her for a moment, and then turned to face the group, of which he suddenly had all their attention.

"Only four rooms?" Tidus spoke disbelievingly. "How are we going to do that?"

Rikku sidled up to Yuna, clutching the older girls arms in both of hers.

"Oh, I get to stay with Yunie! We have some serious chatting to do."

Yuna smiled sheepishly, but did not argue.

"Kimarhi get own room." The Ronso growled possessively, now that Yuna had been taken care of. Tidus cast a flirtatious glance at Yuna and Rikku.

"I wouldn't mind sharing a room with you ladies…" he winked, both Yuna and Rikku giggled.

"I don't think so." Auron ground out flatly.

"Aw, what? Bunk with you?" Tidus slumped forward, deflated at the thought. "But you are so boring, Auron."

Auron "humph"ed at the statement, but Tidus did submit to the older guardian. Besides, the agency only held one bed a room. Tidus was about to argue that he would only have use for one bed with the girls, but the disgruntled faces of Wakka and Lulu stopped his dispute short.

The entire company then turned to Wakka and Lulu, whose eyes went wide respectively. All of the rooms had been claimed except one. Lulu turned a not so subtle glare at Wakka; an accusatory glare that said: "You had this planned all along, didn't you?"

Wakka held up his hands in innocence, shaking his head—he hadn't planned this!

Lulu turned her back to him and was the first to trek to the rooms, "You can sleep on the floor." She said coolly, adjoined with a round of chuckles throughout the company.

Tidus was surprised to hear even the grizzled warrior he would be bunking with chuckle.

"Not even engaged, yet they bicker like a married couple."

"What was that, Auron?" Tidus asked impishly, knowing full well what the guardian had just said, but Auron just shook his head.

"Nothing."

* * *

When Wakka closed the door to the last room down the hall, he was almost immediately assaulted.

"I don't know how, but I know you are to blame for this."

"Whaaat?" Wakka said as though a ton of bricks had just fallen on his head.

"Like I said before, you can sleep on the floor." She said, her back still to him as she deftly took the pins out of her hair and set them on the nightstand.

"Aw c'mon Lu, be sensible, ya? It'll be cold and hard lying on the floor—I need rest too!" he reasoned.

"Well you should have thought of that before everyone had claimed the rooms." She said coldly, now working to loose her many braids. Even in Wakka's not so subtly harassed state, he knew full well the extent of Lulu's rage. When she wanted to control anger through means other than furiously flinging spells, she would instead work at her hair. Of course, she would have to braid it again the next day (and on the rare but occasional incidents, she would still be upset for so long as to carry it over another day) with the same vehement passion.

Wakka swallowed hard.

"I was just tryin' to be polite!" he pouted, barely daring to continue. "Y-you c-could have s-spoken up too, you know?"

Lulu turned to face him, crimson eyes flashing, fingers still entwined in her long raven hair.

"This is not improving your chances of sleeping in a bed tonight." She snarled.

"Aww, Lu!"

"Besides, I remember you being quite the bed hog when you were little."

"What! But we never—" Wakka began feverishly.

"Chappu told me." Lulu stated in exasperation; had Wakka forgotten he had a brother? Wakka made a strangled noise, one Lulu had come to know that he was at a loss for words. There were secrets between he and his little brother that the latter was supposed to keep. Lulu did not trouble to hide a devilish smile at Wakka's discomfort. "Oh yes, your brother told me so much about you, I know more than you would think."

Wakka upraised his hands once more, in efforts to give up the rather one-sided battle.

"Of course, Lu, of course."

Finally seeming satisfied, the verbal battle was dropped; Lulu went back to silently unbraiding her hair. Wakka sighed and began to remove his shirt when Lulu gave an exhale of exclamation.

Wakka froze, and wisely so.

"What are you doing?"

"It's just the shirt," Wakka supplied, already knowing where the conversation was going. "Everything else will stay on." Lulu stared at him, with her hair entirely down, she somehow looked less severe; younger. How she should look—not so aged with terrible past experiences, not so weighted with sorrow and regret. Her long raven hair pulled at some memory deep within him of when they would all play together as children; yet here she stood now—poised, defined—she was beautiful. With the "younger" Lulu before him, he was tempted into his next comment despite himself, "but, if you wanted to dress down…"

Lulu was not amused. Those crimson eyes, which had only a moment before looked at him with youth and perhaps the faintest touch of uncertainty, slanted with grim severity.

"I will not hesitate to cast a spell on you." She stated sincerely, as she slipped into one side of the bed, fully clothed. Wakka chuckled, but kept tight to his own side of the bed lest he incurred the mages' wrath any further, silently murmuring under his breath.

"You already have, Lu."

* * *

**Author's Note: Aww, what a mushy part to stop at. Wakka better watch it, things might get a little more intense as the night draws on (insert evil laughter here). And poor Yuna, having to play peacemaker when tension is high. Well, she does a good job of it.**

**I thought this would be a fun idea to do (dunno exactly how it came to me again, probably while I was visiting an Al bhed shop--these people have to sleep sometime! And why not in comfort on occaision?) I chose the more chilly setting because I actually have another funny bit to add, I'm just unsure of how to work it in and it might cause a slight delay in the next post! NO! This piece is far from finished yet. It might be two chapters for this story, or more likely three, I just need some time to hammer out the little details. Luckily however, this beginning part is pleasing to me, so it is posted! I hope you all like the first installment there!**

**You folks can look forward to a love triangle between Wakka, Lulu, and Auron--there wasn't too much Auron and Lulu interaction in this one, but there will be in a later chapter. (The next one might tailor more toward Yuna smoothing out what happens the morning after. Tee hee!)**

**Anyway, I hope you will look forward to more and will please review!**

**Blackfire 18**


	2. The Night of, The Morning After

**Trials and Tribulations**

**Chapter Two: The Night of; the Morning After**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, nor any of the characters there within.**

Wakka awoke to the sounds of soft crying. He rolled over onto his side and clumsily switched on the mechanically powered lantern, too tired to be grumpy about its mechanical origin. The room was dimly lit and he gathered his orientation about him before his eyes fell on the woman beside him. She had rolled to face him in the course of the night, her hair falling somewhat into her face, obscuring nearly half of it to him. One hand had slipped beneath her pillow, while the other lay open, palm up to him. Upon closer study of her face behind curtains of hair, he felt a shock. Lulu was indeed crying, although the sound was muffled. Wakka did not know what to do; waking her would surely bring him nothing but trouble, but leaving her in such a distressed state was not a brilliant idea either. He paused for a moment when soft murmurings tumbled from Lulu's lips.

"N-no…Chappu…don't go…"

Wakka's breath caught in his constricted chest. Her words unsettled Wakka, how many nights had Lulu endured like this?

"No…Sin!" she whimpered in pain and unfathomable sorrow. Wakka could not stand it any longer, he gently shook the mage's shoulder. Anything to break her out of the nightmare she was trapped in.

"Lu!" He shook her a little more firmly, but there was no response. He bit his lip, steeling himself for his next move. He rolled her back onto her shoulder blades. A tremble erupted over him; their bodies were so close, his face was hovering over hers. "L-Lu! Wake up!"

The black mage's eyes flew open; she was breathing hard as though she had been running. Had she been running in her dream? For what? _From_ what?

At last her eyes fluttered open at Wakka's gentle but persistant urges; crimson gaze dazed in confusion and disorientation.

"Chappu?" she whispered, gazing up at him. Wakka felt his heart sink; in remorse for Lulu's suffering, for the loss of his brother, for her not recognizing him. "No, Wakka." She numbly corrected herself, her crimson eyes had all but lost their fire; blurred by unspent tears.

"Yeah Lu, you're safe. I'm here." He breathed, relieved she had not flung a water spell into his face right then and there. Lulu appeared to begin to break down again.

"Wakka, you're alive! Sin—your brother—it all happened so fast." Wakka could see the tears shimmering on her pale cheeks. "So fast!"

"It's all right, Lu!" he said soothingly. "I'm here, no worries, ya?" He pulled her into his embrace, which she did not resist.

Her slender shoulders shook, as still the bitter, salty discharge slipped from her eyes. Wakka held her and spoke sweet words in effort to calm her and it appeared to be working; her body shook less and the tears had all but stopped. She had finally fallen back into an uneasy slumber. Wakka could not believe how shaken up Lulu had been and his own fear she had borne in him because of the unnatural disturbance in her behavior. The usually so calm and poised mage, broken down before him like a child—it worried him. Of course, what concerned him now was how she would react in the morning; though he dared not to let her go, lest she crumble away to nothing our of his arms.

Despite her unusual outburst, it felt nice to be so close to her, to make contact with the usually cold and surly mage whom shelled herself off from the world; from a world of hurt, a world of pain. She was soft and malleable, something one would not expect from the stern and rigid mage. She was warm within his arms (perhaps more so because of the nightmare she had just experienced) and he hugged her gently to him. Her forehead pressed against his chest and there was moisture on her cheeks. Wakka's heart tore for her.

He had ignored his feelings for her out of respect for his little brother, who seemed to be the only one who could melt Lulu's carefully constructed walls. Chappu had poked fun at Lulu's being grumpy, but truly, Wakka had never seen her be more comfortable and relaxed; so _contented_.

The village spoke of the boy who had melted the pale, dark-haired girl's heart, for word spread fast in a small village (everyone is family). The couple had been a popular story for a good long time and Wakka had tried his best to shrug off his growing feelings of affection for the girl his brother loved. Chappu may not have noticed, but when the brother's practiced, Wakka would try to outshine his little brother, for every once and awhile, the girls from the village would watch them train and Lulu would be among them. Chappu, however, greatly excelled in the sport compared to his older brother—usually leaving Wakka either behind or in a pinch to nab the ball. Knowing Lulu was watching made Wakka clumsy. Even so, at the end of the day they would all walk back together; Yuna, Lulu, Wakka and Chappu (Wakka usually had butterflies in his stomach the whole time). Make no mistake, all three of them adored Yuna, she was a sweet and innocent little girl, but when it came to love interest, the brother's were both attracted to Lulu. Lulu, however, was only attracted to Chappu, leaving Wakka to struggle with his feelings. Still, their childhood days had been a great time.

But once his brother was taken by Sin, and though he mourned his brother, he could no longer deflect his feelings for Lulu. And she in retrospect, fell into herself, steeled her emotions, and shelled herself from the world. Though he had offered it, Lulu had brusquely renounced nearly every offer of affection, claiming never to let love hurt her so deeply again. He had accepted the mage's words, but he could not qualm the seizing grip of love every time he saw her. He remained hopeful that her broken heart would mend, it would only take time.

If only she would smile more.

Wakka stifled a rather large yawn into his pillow and settled back down, slipping back into his own uneasy slumber, trying not to think of the morning, and only this moment. Perhaps for now, this would be enough.

* * *

Confusion came on swift wings that morning when Lulu found she was unable to move. Odd. She tried to move her legs and her knees knocked into something; her arms in an awkward position; pressed against something hard. The wall? What wall? 

The next sequence of thoughts seared through Lulu like a thundara spell. Macalania, the travel agency, the argument over the rooms, the bed—Wakka!

Her crimson eyes flew open in an instant, her body tensed to what she would find. Smooth, bronze skin hovered before her, so close that her eyelashes easily brushed it. As sensation was returned to her after the gripping paralysis of sleep, she could feel that the entire length of her body was pressed against the muscular form of the former blitzball captain. A startled shriek caught in her throat. Every curve, every chiseled muscle pressed against her body and she was thrust into a panic. Endowed with a sudden, fearsome strength, she thrashed and shoved to get away, to have her own personal space restored; to return to her carefully perfected shell from a world of vulnerability.

The vigorous movement startled the red haired man from his own peaceful slumber into a confused waking reality. When Wakka opened his eyes, he wished he had never done so and just played dead, for now he would surely join them.

What first met his eyes was Lulu, out of bed, one hand over her heart, the other hand held out, palm open, fingers splayed—the position for a spell; her long raven hair falling over one shoulder, leaving the other exposed. Her expression was one of shock and rage. Even in her disheveled state, Wakka could not overlook her beauty.

The tense moment of stillness seemed to last an eternity before they both spoke at once.

-"Now come on Lu, don't do anything crazy—"

-"If you did anything, Wakka, so help me—"

-"You know I wouldn't have the guts to do that sorta thing—"

-"I would freeze you in a block of ice, then bury you alive!"

"You're imagining things, Lu!" Wakka pleaded, begging to be spared the mage's wrath.

"I did not imagine that just now, Wakka!"

"Please Lu! You don't remember what happened last night?"

"_Get out_!"

Wakka scrambled backward, falling head over heels over the bed. The mage was not moved by his plight and maneuvered swiftly to the side of the bed he had fallen from, her crimson eyes furious as she prepared a fira spell.

With a redoubled effort, Wakka leapt onto his feet and swung for the door, slipping again to the ground as the door swung open. Fire roared over his head where he had been standing only a moment before. Rolling out of the room, Wakka scrambled to his feet as a thundara spell scorched the ground behind him.

"Whoa!"

The door slammed shut behind him with a loud band. Wakka sighed, pushing himself to stand and dusting off his pants. The door opened again a split second later and Wakka barely had time to take cover as his shirt came flying into his face. Again the door slammed with the same solemn bang of the first. Several heads poked out of the doors to the many rooms down the hall. Embarrassment caused Wakka's cheeks to flush. He nervously crammed his shirt into a ball and placed it at his hip, like one of his many, many blitzballs.

"I snore too loud, ya? Kept her from sleeping. I hope you will forgive me." Wakka bowed politely to the patrons. There were glances exchanged in which several tenants seemed not to believe his story, but for the apology, they returned to their rooms. However, a blonde haired boy and brunette haired girl stayed outside of the room.

Tidus was holding back a laugh.

"So Wakka," he asked when the red head came closer, "did you make like a blitzball captain and score?"

Wakka took the humor in it. Yuna appeared confused by the question.

"Not even close, I wouldn't be talking to you now if I had done that, ya?" Wakka laughed hollowly.

Yuna gazed down the hallway to the room Wakka had just been unceremoniously kicked out of.

"Excuse me." Yuna said softly, making her way to the door. She inhaled softly, preparing herself before she knocked. "Lulu?" she called gently. There was no answer, only frustrated silence. Yuna knocked a little louder. "Lulu?" Still no answer. Yuna understood that Lulu was giving anyone who came to her door the silent treatment; but Yuna knew Lulu and when the older woman was silent most, Yuna was needed most and could make amends.

* * *

**Author's Note: Will Yuna be able to help? I certainly hope so! Poor Wakka, he got shunted out of the room pretty fast and he wasn't even properly dressed! I suppose Lulu is so good at hiding her emotions that she tends to forget those times when she let's her guard down...**

**Gosh, I made Tidus so corny in this chapter. My humblest of apologies, it just seemed like something Tidus would say at the time.**

**I actually got a little carried away with the backstory there, but it was fun to write nonetheless! I figure this will probably be the only story I can incorporate a backstory (unless I do yet another Wakka/Lulu/Chappu story...err, unlikely, much as I love them).**

**So yes, expect some Lulu and Yuna interaction in the next chapter (there might actually be four, five, or even six chapters! Idea's just keep coming to me!) as well as some Lulu and Auron interaction, finally!**

**Thanks to ALL who reviewed my story on the first go--it is deeply appreciated and it spurs me to continuously belt these out. I hope you all will keep reading and reviewing!**

**Blackfire 18**


	3. Consolation and Failure

**Trials and Tribulations**

**Chapter 3: Consolation and Failure**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, nor any of the characters there within.**

Carefully, Yuna opened the door and slipped in, shutting it quietly behind her.

The black mage had her back turned to Yuna, her nimble fingers working deftly at her hair to restore the chain of braids she usually wore. Half of her head had been braided to her scalp and two long braids were already slung over her back. She worked furiously at it. Yuna smiled softly and came forward, hands reaching out, taking the silky raven locks and beginning to braid the hair herself. Lulu physically relaxed to the touch, her hands fell into her lap, her eyes closed with a tired sigh.

Silently, the white mage plaited the other mage's hair until Lulu spoke.

"Forgive me, Yuna."

Startled out of the entrancingly repetitive exercise, Yuna replied.

"You should not seek forgiveness from me, but from Wakka."

Lulu sighed, perhaps impatiently, but more for herself than at Yuna's words.

"I know, but sometimes he just—" Lulu finished her statement with an irritated noise. Yuna offered no comment for the older girl's outburst, but the summoner did smile softly to herself. They both knew Wakka meant well. Yuna had noticed more and more over the years how the blitzball captain seemed to act, well, more silly around Lulu. And it had taken Yuna a good deal of time to comprehend why he tripped over his words and his feet whenever in the mage's presence. It might have been admiration, or even a little bit of fear, but truly the answer was a bit more obvious than even that—Wakka was in love with Lulu.

Now Lulu, on the other hand, had always been rather quiet. She had become even more subdued upon the news of Chappu's death. Oh, she would chide and scold when she saw fit, but when it came to discussing other affairs, she would offer her stoic advice—but in such a way that it would not involve her personally. One day when Yuna had commented to the mage about Wakka being particularly silly, Lulu's face seemed to harden and her eyes glazed. She had said that Wakka was just clumsy. Yuna was unsure of how to react to such a response; Lulu's voice and posture were in conflict. The comment Lulu had made was meant to be partly serious, and partly in jest—but coupled with her expression, the statement did not fit. Was it possible that Lulu did not see that Wakka was enamored by her? Or did she truly see through his fumbles and folly as being subtle gestures of love and was trying her best to lock away her true feelings?

Yuna shook her head lightly, just realizing she was out of hair and still trying to braid nonetheless. She glanced up quickly at the mage, who seemed not to notice—both had fallen into a silent reflection. Yuna hummed happily.

"All finished. Are you ready to go?" She asked candidly, placing a hand on the mage's shoulder.

"I'm ready when you are." Lulu said, slipping back into that cultured, stoic state of hers as she rose to stand. Yuna gave the mage a smile and headed for the door. Opening it, she discovered Tidus on the other side, preparing to knock. He smiled that broad smile of his for her and placed his fists on his hips.

"Oh good! Are we all cleared to go?"

Yuna nodded and asked Tidus if he would be so kind as to gather the rest of the guardians and he easily complied. Lulu waited silently at the exit of the Al Bhed shop as the guardians assembled. An uncomfortable silence stretched when Wakka awaited the group also, just opposite her. She did not look at him; she was not yet ready to apologize. Instead her gaze focused outside of the inn, mind intent on the journey that lay before them for the day.

The guardians finally came together and left, Wakka fell somewhere in the middle of the group, while Lulu brought up the rear as usual; she was not very fast-paced in her heavy skirt of belts.

The company continued the pilgrimage for awhile in silence. Half of the day had lapsed and still Lulu had not confronted Wakka. Apparently, neither of them was much up for conversation. When the company halted for a short rest, Lulu removed herself from the group to think; unawares that she was being observed.

Wakka's words echoed back to her.

_You don't remember what happened last night?_

She grit her teeth for a moment at what the statement could well imply, and tried instead to place the statement to his expression. Wakka had seemed distressed, trying vainly to get Lulu to remember what had happened. Why would he have mentioned it if he had not wanted her to remember last nights events? No, that could not have been it then. Wakka was not very proficient at lying, and his face had spoken nothing but truth. But what truth had it been? Just what _had_ happened last night?

Lulu tensed as heavy, but soft footsteps approached her. It would be unpleasant to find Wakka there, because she was still not quite ready to face him yet. She was somewhat ashamed of her outburst that morning, but not yet sure if she was indeed justified by it. The footsteps neared and Lulu's breath caught in her throat, she was not yet ready to apologize!

A red yakuta graced her peripheral vision and Lulu relaxed slightly.

"Oh, Sir Auron."

"You sound relieved to see me." Auron said with a deep chuckle. Lulu exhaled a quietly shaky sigh, this man was so observant. Lulu offered no reply to his statement. Auron continued to look straight ahead. "There really is no need for formality, Auron, will be fine."

The sudden change of subject caught Lulu by surprise, and yet she could not help but feel a little more companionship toward the legendary guardian.

"We are fellow guardians after all, we share the same duties and I am no different from you."

"But Sir Auron, you completed a pilgrimage with Lord Braska; it is an honor that you grace our company."

"'Sir' Auron; such a robust title. I was just a boy. Yes, I have completed a pilgrimage, but I have not traveled these roads as many times as you."

Startled, Lulu looked at him with a searching crimson eye. She had not informed anyone about her pilgrimages—Yuna, Wakka, and Kimarhi already knew about her journeys, but Tidus and Auron did not. The red-cloaked man seemed to read her thoughts and continued.

"When you avoided that rather large patch of covered ice yesterday, it spoke of how habitually you have walked these roads time and again." His head turned slightly in her direction, but whether or not he looked at her, she could not be certain behind those smoky-tinted sunglasses. Lulu nodded numbly as her gaze grazed across the ground.

"Yes, this would be my third pilgrimage."

"I would assume the first two were unsuccessful."

Could there be nothing to hide from this man?

"…No."

"Then you have the deepest of my regrets. Where I have only traveled this path once, you have suffered it several times. Set out on each journey knowing what awaited each summoner at the end. That is a form of torture I should think few could endure. But I would also believe the more you travel, the more you come to rely on your friends; but something about that former blitzball captain distresses you." And now Lulu was sure that his eye was upon her, even behind his glasses. "You were awfully tense when you heard me approach."

Lulu blinked a few times behind her curtain of raven hair, trying to think of a rebuttal and conceal her discomfort.

"Perhaps."

Was her reply to him. Auron "hmphed" at the statement, but in a slightly more jovial tone than most.

"I see."

Something about his response unnerved her. Where she could shield much of herself from others easily by her steely exterior, it was as though Auron could see beyond all of her carefully crafted walls and into her very soul. Where Wakka might lie down, belly-up in defeat when her claws appeared, Auron would simply not retreat in his advances. They were both dancing dangerously around one another's wit, each seizing up the others intelligence. Yet with the both of them being rather stoic, it was difficult to discern.

Lulu numbly noted that her toes were beginning to freeze in the snow. They had better get moving again soon lest they all caught some form of frostbite.

"Before we get on the move again, I would think it prudent to confront him." Auron turned so that his profile was to Lulu, who stared at him, aghast. "It would be one less worry on your mind, as well as our lady summoner's." He nodded slightly in the direction of the group, pausing only long enough to turn his gaze once more in Lulu's direction before striding off to rejoin the company. Lulu gazed after him, suddenly feeling much younger. She shook her head lightly, took a deep breath, and followed the stern red-cloaked guardian toward the company—readying herself to apologize to Wakka. She knew she had to eventually, so why delay to stew over it?

Lulu, quite deep in preparation, did not notice a flurry of snowballs flying haphazardly through the air. One had just whizzed past Auron's head. He did not flinch, but his forehead did press into a frown over his sunglasses. Had that shot been intended for him? Lulu had passed Auron by this time and was treading into the war zone where Wakka and Tidus were holding their fight; Yuna and Rikku were staging one of their own, occaisionally tossing frozen spheres into the boy's direction. Kimarhi stood off to one side, watching the battle indifferently. Wakka scooped up a handful of white, ducking a snowball Tidus had just thrown and hurled his own at the younger blitzer. Unfortunately, Lulu had taken that moment to pace up behind Tidus to admit her apologies to Wakka.

"Wakka, I am—" _SMACK!_

At that exact moment, Tidus had ducked, causing the snowball Wakka had thrown to spatter directly into Lulu's face.

A sudden horrified silence filled the surrounding forest. All movement and laughter had ceased. The moment seemed to last for eternity. Not one of them laughed. If Lulu had been angry before, she was downright outraged now.

The snow clod slipped from her face to the ground, exposing a stinging red face with violently icy eyes beneath. Before anyone could move, a spell had already left Lulu's lips and cast furiously in Wakka's direction. Ice splintered up with shattering force from the ground, freezing Wakka's legs up to his knees in a thick flower of glass and snow. Wakka lost his balance, and at the junction of his calves and thighs, he toppled over backward with a piteous cry. Lulu was deaf to the gasps of astonishment and shock, as her temper warred with her to cause more damage to the buffoon who had hurt her feelings and now her face; ignored her outburst and thwarted her attempt at apology. With immense difficulty, Lulu turned her furious red gaze down the lane, still bursting with casts of thundara, fira, blizzara. Instead, she managed thrust her spells at the idle trees of the forest. One exploded into flames, another shocked with horrific flashing lightening, another completely frozen, so much so that even its branches had become icicles. Her rage seemed nearly uncontrollable. She bit her tongue so severely to halt the spells, the she tasted blood.

Still fuming she took to the road--striding fiercely ahead and not once looking back.

Shocked stares followed Lulu, entirely unbelieving of what had just taken place. All except Wakka, who had shut his eyes with shame and despair; pathetically trapped within his imprisonment of ice. He deserved it. She would never forgive him now.

* * *

**Author's Note: Phew, another update! Lord knows I have been falling behind! (I had a schedule?) I sincerely hope that I kept everyone in character--although Lulu might be a lot more severe than usual. Poor Wakka, still not much success in making amends. It was a bad time for that snowball fight...(yes, I am so glad I got to work that fight in there! I was toying with the idea for ages, I am so pleased to finally get it down.) **

**I will admit that I did trip up a little on Auron's dialogue and that would be the reason why I kept procrastinating on the update; sometimes his dialogue will just come to me and other days I have to fight for what I want him to say. I apologize for taking so long and I hope his conversation with Lulu was an acceptable one!**

**I have a vague idea of where I would like to go from here--which would be another possible Auron/Lulu mix (because they are so cute together!), but beyond that I will have to sleep on it. For several hours. (This would equate to another delayed update, but I will try HARD to think of another chapter to post! I might have two more--it really all depends if I can come up with something and hold some interest of my avid readers!)**

**Anywho! I hope you all liked and will stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**(And I almost forgot! If I calculated correctly--this chapter will boost my word count to over 100,000 words! CELEBRATE!)**

**Please Review!**

**Blackfire 18**


	4. Memories and Contemplation

**Trials and Tribulations**

**Chapter 4: Memories and Contemplation**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, nor any of the characters there within.**

It had taken about the same amount of time for Lulu to cool down that it took to excavate Wakka from his icy prison which had been risen in a great fit of fury. There were many squeaks of fear from the remaining girls of the party and Wakka, as Tidus unceremoniously stabbed away at the ice.

"Careful, ya? _Careful_!" Wakka snapped when Tidus came about an inch short of amputating one of Wakka's prone toes. Auron halted Tidus with a firm arm after the near accident, unsheathing his great sword with calculated movements and stepping up to Wakka. The red head gawked dumbly up at the red cloaked guardian as the latter raised the massive weapon into the air. Wakka squeaked again and could not stop himself from cringing back as the older guardian flipped the sword so the butt of the weapon struck into the ice. There was a loud crack and splintering sound as the ice broke into three neat pieces. Wakka incoherently mumbled his thanks to the guardian that freed him as Tidus clapped Auron on the back. Auron threw Tidus a scathing look, Rikku asked Wakka if he had frostbite, and Yuna tried to voice her urging to continue on with the journey.

Needless to say, the sun had dropped another quarter in the sky.

Lulu, further ahead than the others on the trail, was still fuming; however, a bit less on Wakka's part and more on her own behalf. Not only had she failed to hold back her temper which she had worked so studiously at to reign in and conceal along with her emotions, but she may have harmed Wakka as well.

She had disgraced herself.

And what was worse, she herself had delayed the pilgrimage. For this she was at once ashamed and elated. Ashamed because it was her fault they were now behind in their schedule and would have to pull double time to make up for the missed hours for this day of travel. She was also elated that she had delayed them; thus in turn, giving Yuna all the more precious time to spend with the company before their time was so abruptly stolen from them.

Lulu sat down on a rock to calm herself and reflect on her actions, as well as wait for the rest of the group to catch up to her.

Why had she snapped like that? Lulu racked her mind for justification or incentive behind her actions. Yes, the snowball to her face had stung rather harshly and she was embarrassed for both herself and Wakka; but normally she would just give him a fierce reprimand for such nonsense. That wild fury of spells…where had such rampant emotion come from? Lulu sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head back slightly, thinking back. There was something within the confines of her mind just evading her immediate cognition, like trying to recall a dream. She knew it had something to do with Wakka, but now she could not think what it was precisely.

Lulu opened her eyes once more, allowing her head to tilt forward and the pleasant clinking of her many intricate hair ornaments met her ears. The sound was calming. Her thoughts gradually drifted to what now needed to be addressed.

She would still need to apologize to the company. It was like a weight on her chest. She did not often have to apologize (then again, she did not often lose her temper so wildly), and when it came time that she did, it was never an easy task to accomplish.

It had not seemed like a long time when at last the summoner and guardians had appeared before her on the road, but when they did arrive, she took a deep steadying breath and strode decisively before them. She bowed low, her many beads tinkling as if in regret and her dark braids slipping far past her bare shoulders to lightly brush the ground.

"I am sorry for my actions—both earlier this morning and for this afternoon. Forgive me, Yuna and…I am sorry, Wakka."

Yuna came forward, kneeling before the mage so that she could look up into those sorrowful crimson eyes.

"You are forgiven." Then Yuna added softly. "I know we can grate on each others nerves sometimes; that's inevitable…so there's nothing to worry about, Lulu."

And Yuna gave the black mage a reassuring smile and a comforting hug. Lulu returned the embrace, sighing as she went.

"Thank you," she murmured softly. Lulu's crimson eyes flickered toward Wakka, who stood at a distance, hesitantly. His eyes met hers and he saw fathoms of meaning within that gaze. Apologetic, asking forgiveness, worry for his wellbeing, hope that she had not jeopardized their friendship. He flashed her a lopsided smile. Lulu returned it with the barest of smiles and a slight inclination of her head. Yuna gently tugged herself away from Lulu's arms to give her a warm smile.

"Well, shall we continue on then?" Yuna announced to them all courteously, as though they had merely stopped long enough for her to lace up her boots and nothing more. There was a silent shuffling forward in which none of them spoke, but understood they needed to move forward. They could afford no more delay's and what with all of the day's events and lack of sleep (on some certain party's account) from the night before—exhaustion was not long to set in. They traveled on in silence as evening fell upon them.

* * *

The landscape around them changed. Snow and ice no longer dominated the floor or canopy of branches over their heads. They had all come into the shelter of a forest, as opposed to the sparsely littered trees of the mostly plain land behind them. The company had entered into a large, lightly frosted forest, silent except for a cool breeze that whispered in the tops of the trees. The group pressed forward.

The former blitzball captain debated for several moments on whether or not to confront the black mage. Her normal tread usually kept her to the back of the group, however, now she tried to keep a firm and fast pace with the rest of the company, as if in a continuous apology; she would no longer slow them down. Wakka dimly wondered just how long Lulu would be able to keep such a pace in those heavy, jangling belts. The red head had taken up to the post of falling to the rear of the company. He had accepted Lulu's apology well enough, yet…

Wakka had not forgiven Lulu, at least not to her personally. He could not understand what he had done to upset her so horrifically this time, other than the snowball to the face. Lulu usually was extremely patient in this type of situation, especially when there were many people to witness it. Sure he would get a brash scolding, but that…_scene_ was not like Lulu. What was going on that had Lulu so unseated?

It frustrated Wakka that he could not pin down such a perplexing case.

_It's confusing, yeah?_ He thought to himself. Wakka did, however, have a very slight hunch as to Lulu's confounding behavior. _Maybe it had something to do with that dream she had last night? Yevon knows how many nightmares she must have suffered through. But…she must have been having them kind of thoughts ever since we heard the news about Chappu. What would make this one so different?_

Wakka shook his head. It hurt his head to concentrate now. There was simply too much to think about. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was not blind to notice earlier that when Lulu had moved off to be alone, that Sir Auron was not long to follow. What could this new complication mean?Surelyonly trouble for him.

Wakka sighed. He had known Lulu ever since they were children. He had been searching for greatness as a blitzball player and hopefully some positive attention from the girls of the village, especially those who frequented the beach. Among the girls that did venture out of the village, it was Yuna and Lulu in particular he sought to impress. Those were the days when Lulu would smile more; though her smiles were rarely for him. When Wakka and his little brother would go out to play ball; practicing drills and competing with each other—that beautiful, exotic face with the intriguing red eyes would be smiling past Wakka; smiling at his little brother. Smiling at Chappu.What Wakka wouldn't give to have received one of those smiles; though try as he might, the grin he desired always seem to slip past him.

There had been one time when that lovely smile was turned his way. How could he forget?

"_C'mon Chappu, don't be a ball hog!"_

_Wakka shouted jokingly to his little brother who floated in the water a short distance from him. Chappu laughed heartily and effortlessly spun the blitzball on one finger._

"_But bro, I've got an awesome trick to show off!" Wakka's younger brother cried as he sank into the water and shot back up, one muscled, bronze arm drawn back to hurtle the blue and white ball into the air. It rocketed upward before falling back to the ocean with impressive speed. Chappu was already completely out of the water by that time and flipping backward to deliver a fierce kick to the ball as it returned. He splashed back into the water as the blitzball screamed through the air almost perfectly horizontal to the horizon for a good distance from the blow; it could have easily covered an entire blitzball arena. The boy guarding the opposite goal did not even dare to halt the careening blitzball; spinning so fast it looked oval in shape. He dove into the water and Chappu scored an amazing goal._

_Chappu resurfaced to the awed cries of the other boys who had joined in the game. _

"_That was totally awesome!"_

"_Did you see that thing fly?"_

"_Whoa, Chappu! Teach me that move!" _

"_Eh Chappu, you tryin' to kill me with that fancy trick?" (this was spoken by the goal keeper when he resurfaced)._

_Wakka grinned and shook his head, deeply impressed. _

That brother of mine is getting too good for me_. He thought._

_In any case, they had won the game and Wakka stretched and headed back to the beach. His stomach tangled into numerous knots at the sight that greeted him. Yuna and Lulu had come down to watch the game. Yuna waved excitedly at Wakka, which he sheepishly returned; his eyes sliding toward the pale, darker-haired girl that accompanied her. Lulu's gaze was beyond him, out to the sea and another blitzer that played there. Wakka reminded himself that Chappu was Lulu's romantic interest before the disappointment could set in._

"_Wakka!" Yuna hailed him as he neared. "You did so good today! How do you move like that so easily in the water?"_

_Wakka laughed. "Lots of practice and training. We always try to do our best."_

"_Chappu has grown quite skilled," Lulu said suddenly, her gaze breaking away from the waters to look slyly at Wakka. His stomach flipped. "Does the fresh competition ever worry you?" _

_All the moves Wakka had known and taught to his brother were being performed more skillfully by the latter. Wakka feigned indifference, though his brother's growing talent did begin to unnerve him. "Nah, me and Chappu will be an unstoppable force when we get to the real games and play as Besaid Aurochs." _

_Yuna clapped her hands and squealed in delight as Lulu folded her arms._

"_You seem confident." She mused._

"_Of course, when you're as smart as we are…" Wakka started to teasingly flex his muscles when suddenly, Yuna shrieked and a great pain struck Wakka in the base of his skull. The next thing he knew he was lying face down in the sand._

"_Wakka!" _

_He heard someone cry; the sound muffled by the ocean breeze. Stunned and unsure of what was going on above him, he tried to concentrate on what had happened. The sand pressed into his cheek shifted slightly and gentle hands brushed over his back and forearm._

"_Wakka, are you all right?"_

_Lulu's worried voice reached his ears. Wakka was too dizzy to respond._

"_Is he all right, Lulu?" He heard Yuna say._

"_Wakka!" Chappu shouted as he raced up the beach. "Bro! You ok?" _

"_Give him some space." Lulu said firmly. There was more shifting in the sand at her command. The hands still rested on Wakka._

_He groaned. "Ugh, wha happened?" Wakka said around a mouth full of sand. There were a few sighs of relief in response to his inquiry._

"_Eh bro, are you ok?" Chappu patted him on the back._

"_Ya I guess, what happened?" Wakka asked again._

"_One of the boys tried to copy my move and it went in the wrong direction…" Chappu chuckled, but the sound was more one of relief than humor. "I'll get him to come apologize." And Chappu raced off again. With an effort, Wakka pushed himself up to his elbows, sand flaking down from his skin, and he rubbed his offended head. It stung something fierce._

"_Yeouch." He didn't bother to hide his pain._

"_Wakka, are you sure you're all right?" Lulu asked of him. He looked up at her from the ground. Her eyes were filled with worry and he discovered it was her hands that had rested on him from the start. _

"_Yeah, I think I'll be ok." Wakka rubbed his head and smiled. Suddenly Lulu socked him in the arm and Wakka stared up at her dumbfounded._

"_Don't you ever scare me like that!" she reprimanded him. His jaw was slack and he had no reply for her. "Yuna, could you bring Chappu back here and tell him not to beat up Ratta so harshly?" _

_Yuna nodded to the pale girl, relieved to see Wakka all right and she rushed down to the sea. Lulu exhaled her own relief, still kneeling before the red head._

"_Sorry Lu," Wakka said sheepishly. "I need eyes on the back of my head to watch those out of control fly balls." _

_A small smile spread across Lulu's face and Wakka's heart soared. She looked so beautiful with that smile, a smile he had won for himself at last._

"_You did look kind of silly when that ball hit you in the head." Lulu admitted, a devious glint in her eyes. _

"_Eh, that thing came out of nowhere!" Wakka proclaimed in all honesty. Lulu laughed at this and Wakka thought his heart might burst. This had to be the best day of his life. She stood up to brush off her skirts and offered him a hand which he breathlessly accepted. He lifted himself mostly off the beach, but did pull slightly at Lulu's hand, which was warm within his own. She released his hand when he had gotten to his feet. He wouldn't mind being hit to the head by a hundred blitzballs if he got to hold Lulu's hand again._

"_Hey Wakka!" Chappu shouted from the shore. "Ratta wants to say he's sorry!"_

_A small boy with two very red cheeks shuffled his feet in great embarrassment. "I'm sorry Wakka!" he shouted with a force to match Chappu's yell. Wakka waved the boy off with a lopsided grin. No worries. Forgiven, the boy raced off. Yuna and Chappu walked back up the beach to them. Wakka and Lulu shared a meaningful gaze before greeting their other two companions._

Wakka could not push the image of Lulu's smile and open hand reaching out for him in such a warm invitation. She had been truly smiling then; smiling for him.

Wakka sighed and shook his head.

And now, when he had finally gotten his chance to offer his affections to the mage, this new commotion arises. Why did the world have to be so unfair? Sir Auron was just as easily read as Lulu, which meant Wakka stood no chance of comprehending how the legendary guardian's mind worked…other than in mysterious ways. If anything, Sir Auron was more stoic than Lulu. Both were brooding, well-trained, intellectual guardians who carried pasts wrought with grief. They were a perfect match for each other.

Wakka sighed, and it went unheard by the group that strode purposefully ahead of him. Did Lulu ever feel this isolated when she brought up the back?

He shook his head. He would have to personally forgive Lulu, if he knew nothing else it was that she needed to hear the words.

Wakka picked up his pace only to find that the group before him had stopped. The former blitzball captain almost crashed into Sir Auron, and with a tight swallow, he saw the legendary guardian's stern, chestnut brown eye on him as the chiseled warrior stood in profile to the red head.

Dusk had fallen on them and Wakka had not even noticed in his tizzy of thoughts.

"We will camp here for the night." Auron said gruffly and strode forward into the surrounding forest and out of sight. There was a flurry of movement directly after the guardian's statement in which Tidus and Rikku raced to see who could build their tent fastest; Yuna giggled at the both of their hurried efforts.

"C'mon Yuna," Rikku chirruped eagerly. "Give me a hand."

Yuna complied and began to swiftly work putting together tent poles as Rikku stretched the tarp.

"What?" Tidus interjected. "Two against one? No fair! Kimarhi, come help me put together some poles. We can't let them win!"

The Ronso growled in what might have been interpreted as irritation, but he did come to aid to ruffled blonde.

"Put those tents together properly." Auron's muffled voice chided brusquely from the depths of the forest, though he was no longer anywhere to be seen.

"No worries, Auron. I am a master tent builder!" Tidus called back, just as a pole took that moment to whip out of its cradle and smack him on the head. Tidus groaned and rubbed his head quickly, returning to his work with a flourish. Rikku's excited shriek startled Tidus and again a random pole jettisoned out to smack his head.

"We win!" Rikku cried. "That's one for Rikku and Yunie, zero for the Master Tent-Builder and Kimarhi."

"Arrgh, Auron distracted me!" Tidus accused with a pout.

"Too bad, we are champions!" Rikku and Yuna danced together giggling and clapping their hands. "You lose, we win!"

Tidus continued to pout, poking half-heartedly at the blue Ronso's slow ability to put together tent poles. The Ronso gave Tidus a fierce look which silenced the boy immediately. Kimarhi went silently about putting the remainder of the tent together, which the blonde had apparently lost interest in.

Wakka chuckled.

"Awful competitive, aren't they Lu?" He said as he came upon the black mage. She stood rigid in her silence as he stood beside her.

"I'm sorry, Wakka." She said after a moment. "Excuse me."

Lulu mimicked Auron, though opposite in direction, and strode purposefully into the surrounding forest, not once looking back at the dejectedly morose expression that followed her retreating back.

* * *

**Author's Note: Lordy-loo, another long wait for an update! But at long last, here it is! I apologize for the delay, my plate has been quite full--and not with yummy foods.**

**I sort of have mixed emotions with this chapter, I kept getting tripped up on how exactly to execute my sequence of events (horrible of me, huh?). I still have another Auron and Lulu interaction I'd like to address in the next chapter, but it might conflict with how I'd like to end this...so many choices. I'm rather pleased with how Wakka's memory came into being and I've got a wonderful idea on a memory for Auron--now if I can just untangle how to keep the plot rolling. **

**I did switch perspective to Wakka for some reason, but I do love to have other characters react to my focused ones. The rest of the story will be from Lulu's point of view; she can be difficult to write sometimes (plus, I think I have been doing her character some injustice--I must make AMENDS! But I DO have a reason for her behavior!)**

**I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and I will try my hardest to make the next even more impelling. Until then:**

**Please Review!**

**Blackfire 18**


	5. Of Nightmares and Dreams Come True

**Trials and Tribulations**

**Chapter 5: Of Nightmares and Dreams Come True**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X, nor any of the characters there within.**

Lulu could feel her chest tighten in remorse as she felt Wakka's sad eyes follow her until she pressed into the dark, reaching arms of the undergrowth of the surrounding forest. It took a certain amount of deliberation to perish the rising guilt in her heart. She knew exactly how it felt. She had followed Chappu's withdraw from Besaid with the same desolate eyes. Lulu knew the former blitzball captain only wanted to forgive and forget, but she was not quite ready to forgive herself for her raucous actions just yet. She needed time in solitude.

Her mind buzzed as she walked in a slow, lazy semi-circle around the camp. The warm glow of a freshly built fire danced invitingly on the trees from the center of the camp. But she was not yet ready to return. Instead, she steadily widened the arc, like some great scavenging fiend that soared the skies. It was not until the camp became a dim light in the trees, that Lulu felt release from any lingering gazes.

Only moonlight lit her vague, undetermined path now. With a wary eye out for any prowling fiends, Lulu tried again to call forth the elusive thoughts of a shimmering, uncertain memory; of dreams transformed into nightmares.

An image of Chappu running from her on a rocky shelf, blazed across her mind's eye, but as quickly as the apparition had appeared, it winked out of existence. She willed vainly to summon up the image again, knowing that it would unlock the mystery to her behavior, but the visions would not come.

With a huff of aggravation, Lulu quickened her pace and changed direction to circle the camp, alert to any snapping twig or rustling bush that could produce a fiend. She would not mind discharging her frustrations at the next creature that challenged her. That unlucky beast would suffer her wrath.

Lulu shut her eyes and stopped in her stride.

No. No, this frenzy of fury had to end. This unbridled _anger_ was wheedling away her barriers of restraint. It was as though years of sorrow and rage had surfaced and taken hold of her these past few days; years of wanting to lash out at a cruel world of injustice.

The words of her black magic mentor came to her:

_Do not let the elements you wield control _you.

"I am my own master." Lulu replied softly in reflex to the memory. The tension she did not realize she had, depleted, leaving her to feel empty inside. Had she really let those dangerously unstable emotions fuel her these many years? Now all she felt was exhaustion. She closed her eyes briefly, quietly exhaling her voided center when a sudden variation in the breeze caused her eyes to snap back open.

There in the trees, a patch of dark red.

Lulu moved toward it, promising this creature the surprise of its life; a spell hovered on her lips. As she grew closer, her eyes began to pick out small details in the darkness; a flash of something metallic, more of the red…

Lulu stopped abruptly in her advance as she came upon the clearing; the spell disappearing from her lips as she came upon her intended target.

"Sir Auron." Lulu spoke in mild surprise.

"Lulu." He acknowledged her without turning.

Time stretched as the two stood in silence.

"That was quite a…performance today."

Lulu felt color rise on her face. She could sometimes not help but feel chastised by this man. She felt compelled to once again voice her apologies, but she did not speak. She moved a few steps parallel to the guardian.

"Not too far, there is a steep incline down that side." Auron continued, still without turning to face her. Lulu halted mid-step at this warning and saw in the light of the waxing moon, that there was in fact a long drop just beyond; the trees seemed to shrink in height as they ran down the hill.

Again the silence stretched, until Auron spoke.

"I remember, on my journey with Jecht and Braska, there was an incident with a blitzball. It was a time when the three of us had only just started out and Jecht thought I was being too serious. So, he took up his blitzball and kicked it right at my head." Auron rumbled in his throat, which caught Lulu by surprise. Was he laughing? "I was so furious, that I picked up the ball and threw it back at him. He had been too busy laughing at his own joke, that he did not see me _return_ the ball." Another rumble. "It hit him in the face." Auron turned to face an astonished Lulu. "However, he thought it was even more hilarious that he had extracted some emotion from me, other than my usual sedate, grimness. My perspective of him changed that day."

Lulu stared at the man in shocked silence. This was the most she had heard him speak in the entirety of the pilgrimage, and of something so personal, no less. Auron turned partway so that she could see his profile; his sunglasses unable to hide his eyes from this vantage point, so that Lulu saw one chestnut eye focused on her.

"I had learned not to be so '_depressing'_, as Jecht put it, after that. And Jecht learned not to attack companions without warning."

The short story seemed finished and Auron lapsed back into his usual silence, allowing Lulu to reach the intellectual pedestal he rested upon, herself. But the black mage seemed all too inclined to continue to stare, where had that story come from and why had he shared it with her?

"Perhaps you will have your own stories to tell." Lulu could hear Auron's smile. She sighed in remorse, at last breaking her gaze from his to examine the ground.

"I fear I will have too many stories to tell."

Auron rumbled again.

"You have added to my repertoire."

Lulu could feel her cheeks heat at that statement.

"I am…sorry." She managed to speak.

"I have already forgiven you."

Lulu looked up at him, startled. Auron suddenly seemed tired.

"Life, it is much too short to hold grudges, to bear hate. There is too much of that in the world as it is. I would have hoped by now, you would have forgiven yourself."

He turned fully to face her, his eyes shielded once again from her gaze, though she already knew he studied her. She averted her eyes guiltily.

"You have not." It was not spoken as a question. "Healing begins with the self. Only then will you be able to move on. Time waits for no one."

"I have realized that." Lulu said in agreement.

There was a pause.

"He's worried about you."

Lulu blinked, watching Auron in a reigned, morose way, already knowing of whom he spoke.

"And he has been mulling it over in his mind for many days now. It's been keeping him awake. He'll take over sentry duty before it is his turn and stay up for several hours after. I might go so far as to say, he shares some of your…distraction, these days."

The guilt Lulu had suppressed for a few blissful moments now returned with double the force. She turned her back to the red-cloaked guardian; her arms loose at her sides, though her hands had curled into fists.

"I am…I am simply not ready to forgive him yet." Lulu said lowly. "There are times he just infuriates me; acting the fool, slipping and tripping, making silly mistakes that could get him hurt." Lulu trailed off, seeing so many ways Wakka could irritate her and not able to voice them all. Heavy footsteps approached her.

"You worry about him." Auron rested a gloved hand on Lulu's bare shoulder. She could feel the warmth of the hand hidden within. The conclusion he made seemed to resurface something in Lulu's mind, something she had always known but never put in words. It had only been presented as a hot feeling and she channeled the stress into her power. She had wanted to protect them all because enough had been taken from her, from them, already. She stared at nothing at this new revelation.

"I worry about you."

She turned to look back up at Auron, he was so close to her now, perhaps the closest they had ever been together, she could pick out the finer details of his face. The individual graying hairs on his crown, the ragged tissue of the scar that ran down his face, the stubble that rose to meet his sideburns; he looked as though he had endured a great deal of life. They gazed at one another for a moment before Auron continued in a soft, gruff voice.

"Tidus had been a considerable concern of mine for the better part of the pilgrimage, but lately, that concern has been in conflict. He has himself a lady summoner to keep him in line, and a growing affection for her." Lulu nodded, she had noted this development as well. "While he seems to grow more attached, you seem to be distancing yourself." He paused to let that sink in. "Perhaps you could take a leaf from Yuna's book and let affection dictate your actions."

Lulu gave a small, rueful smile.

"Would that be an appeal to live and love, Auron?"

The rumble came again.

"Perhaps. Once the right suitor has come."

Lulu felt a crushing weight settle on her heart. She turned her head so he could only see her profile, hidden behind a curtain of raven hair.

"He has already come and gone."

An extended pause followed this cheerless statement. A rough glove cupped the far side of Lulu's face, gently turning her head to look up him once again.

"Do not abandon hope. Though we struggle to gain progress in this nearly intolerable world filled with pain and suffering, where it is a hardship to carry on; we manage to endure. But we do not live for ourselves, we live for others. We as guardians, live for one another, lending strength and protection throughout the journey. You chose to journey with Yuna, because you chose to honor a sacred bond. It is love. Do not despair over past loves, while another has been patiently waiting to catch your eye."

The mage could feel the change in the air, electrically charged. Her eyes were beginning to sting with the all too familiar tears at the assurance in his voice and an emotion she could not describe. Hope had become a graying sky in her heart, but his sincerity lent sunshine to this desolate, forsaken world. She wanted to ask how he could be so certain, when a horrible crashing rent the silence of the forest; much too loud for a single person. Auron's hand dropped from her face, reaching instead for his katana, searching the trees for the noise. There. Something big was hurtling toward them. The two guardians exchanged glances. A fiend? A dark shape lumbered through the trees, not bothering to use stealth, for it was already nearly upon them.

The creature barreled into the small clearing, felling two trees in its wake. It held a sort of ugly, fierce beauty, of the kind that attracted and repelled at once. The stout beast was half the height of the trees around them and just as long with that tapering tail. It was entirely black, save for the white-tufted ears and tail, its eyes seemed alight with fire and it snapped a savage beak, clawing at the ground with massive talons with four muscular legs. It gave a horrible roaring dual screech that grated on the guardians ears before launching forward, aiming for Lulu. The guardians split into opposite directions; Auron slashing at the beast as it passed and Lulu, the spell she had intended for a fiend before she discovered Auron, she now hurtled at the creature. The hybrid monster screamed in pain as a sizeable spike of ice rose into its heart; smashing it into the other end of the clearing. It yanked the offending icicle from its chest, shaking off bits of frost, and quickly regrouping, it spun around to attack again. It charged, head low, running first at Auron, only to dodge at the last second; Auron's blade slicing through empty air, running at Lulu. Again the woman dodged and threw another spell, a wind spell, which hit the creature squarely. It rolled backward, scrabbling against the turf to steady itself. It roared louder than before when it came to an angry halt.

The beast seemed to grow fiercely intelligent right before their eyes as it sprang in erratic movements, bounding to odd places—on the ground in one instant, gripping high at a tree the next, easily toppling it but not before diving off, moving all the more faster. It caught the back of Auron's thigh in one terrible talon, ripping at Lulu's spell arm in the next leap. The guardians were struggling to strike the beast, but neither steel nor spell could tack it. Pain and exhaustion was making itself known through both of their bodies as the beast struck at them again and again.

At last, the beast threw its body into Auron's shins, and he went down with a startled grunt, then the beast rolled out of this dive and leaped at Lulu, throwing its entire weight into the attack. Her voice failed her to complete a cast as her breath was knocked out of her lungs and agony rippled in horrific waves through her shoulder. Her back slammed into the hard ground, the crushing weight of the creature above her allowed for no movement. The talons had dug deeper into her exposed flesh. Lulu shrieked in pain as other clawed hand rose to strike a finishing blow to the mage as she could only stare up in stunned, wide-eyed shock.

Without warning, the creature's head snapped to one side in a deafening sound as a blue and white spherical object connected with its skull. It stumbled away with a scream of rage and pain. A streak of yellow and red sprinted past Lulu's blurred vision and she pushed herself onto her side quickly, biting her lip to the screaming pain in her shoulder.

Wakka!

Auron was back on his feet and rushing at the creature after the former blitzball captain. Lulu, not wishing to be outdone, scrambled quickly to her feet, calling her mog back to her with a swift, practiced motion. The doll leapt obediently to her bloodied, reaching arms as the pair of them began to summon the most powerful spell she knew to banish this blasted pest from existence, when she stopped sharply.

Wakka and the beast had reached the far side of the clearing, the side backed to that particularly steep crevice. The redhead had beaten the creature back repeatedly with his ball until the beast caught the annoying device and crushed it in powerful talons. His weapon destroyed, Wakka hurled himself at the beast with a yell of rage and the pair of them went careening over the side.

A horrified cry ripped from Lulu's lips before she could stop herself, the sight triggered an unraveling of the visions that had refused to present themselves now flew before her eyes.

* * *

The nightmare had felt so real. 

The two Besaid brother's, Wakka and Chappu stood on a shelf of Djose, Lulu between them. They had spoken of promise and happiness of a better time once Sin was destroyed. Suddenly, the sky darkened to an almost black. Chappu had nodded then, telling Wakka to stay beside Lulu no matter what happened and he hurried forward.

"I will make it better!"

"No Chappu, don't go!" Lulu and Wakka had shouted their protests, but Chappu would not listen as he hurried forward toward the edge of the shelf. Sin materialized over the sea, like some horrific, surreal backdrop; jerking its head one way as if in challenge and Chappu rising to meet it. The monster bore down on Chappu—it was much too close!

"No, Sin!" Lulu and Wakka were rushing forward now, desperate to stop the younger redheaded boy; Wakka was faster than Lulu and he tore ahead of her.

The battle had not even truly begun when the gargantuan monster reared its head back in a fluid motion and a gale arose around the red-haired boy, the ground suddenly quaking and breaking beneath his feet. The shelf was going to collapse.

Lulu charged forward as quickly as her legs could carry her, the noise deafening her ears; debris ripping cloth, tearing skin. She needed to reach him!

In rising fear and panic, Chappu rushed back toward his brother, the shelf buckling dangerously beneath the two brothers. The rocks gave way beneath their feet and everything seemed to move horribly slowly. Chappu had leapt, grasping one of Wakka's hands as they shrank in height; they were both falling with the shelf. Wakka was right by the stable edge of the shelf and he grappled at it with his free hand, barely managing to take hold as the shelf fell away completely.

Lulu had come upon them at last, and she launched to her stomach, both hands clutching at Wakka's arm as his hand slipped dangerously from the edge. Unfortunately, the shock from the jerk on Wakka's arm stunted the brothers' hold and Chappu fell free, nothing to stop his decent now. The scream that resonated in Lulu's ears was horrendous; never ending. Tears were streaming from her eyes as she could only watch her lover fall to his death. Wakka's arm slipped further in her grasp, and she turned her head to look at him. He gazed up at her with such fear, such loss, Lulu felt her grief rip through her anew. And just as suddenly, he too, fell from the edge; plummeting with unbearable, gradual acceleration to the same fate as his little brother. His tears seemed to fall upward from his decent as hers fell down to bid him farewell…falling…falling…

* * *

Wakka was falling! No, not again, not ever again! 

Lulu's mind seemed to fuse shut as adrenaline filled her senses and pumped through her blood as she threw herself over the incline. Trees and rocks appeared in her path, but she managed to shy from them at the last instant, partially running, partially stumbling to the mass below. Pain cleaved through her like a knife from her bloodied shoulder and arm, but she grit her teeth and fleeted ever downward. She tripped dangerously at one point, the heel of her shoe catching on an exposed root, but an iron hand shot out of the darkness and steadied her. She whipped around to see it was Auron who had saved her from a nasty tumble. She nodded once to him with a murmur of thanks and hurried down the last stretch of hill. The creature lay in a broken heap at the base of the incline and Wakka a short distance beyond it. Lulu steeled herself to what she might see, but to her relief, he appeared to be all in one piece with nothing bent or broken.

Lulu fell to her knees beside him, one hand on his chest, the other cupping his cheek.

"Wakka. Wakka!" she patted his face lightly, forcing her voice to stay steady and not quite succeeding. His eyelids fluttered at the action and Lulu felt her breath catch. The former captain groaned in pain and cracked open one brown eye. "Wakka," Lulu choked on a sob of relief. "Are you all right?"

* * *

A moment passed in incoherence as Wakka glanced blearily about himself, trying to recall what had just happened. His vision was fogged and unnaturally bright as he looked up at a younger, concerned Lulu. The sun on his face, the sand beneath him; a warm memory. No, that could not be right. Suddenly, the image before him solidified and everything became darker, more drawn. Lulu was older in this image, but her face was still concerned as it was just a moment ago. His eyes climbed the hill, the situation becoming clear to him. 

"Oog, I could have used an extra pair of legs coming down that hill," he grinned foolishly. "Good thing that fiend broke my fall, ya?" There was a still, puzzled silence that greeted the statement, then suddenly, Lulu struck his chest with the palms of her hands.

"Idiot! What were you thinking? Don't you ever scare me like that!"

Wakka grimaced in pain, his chest throbbed horribly and not just from Lulu's half-hearted smack. But for her, he managed a lopsided smile.

"Ah, sorry Lu. I jus'…I just wanted to make sure you were safe. That ting came outta nowhere, eh?"

Lulu smiled and shook her head, tears sparkling in her eyes, then speaking so softly Wakka had to strain to hear:

"You did look kind of silly when that fiend popped your ball."

He chuckled, the tender reminiscence still vivid in his memory.

"Ay, that was one expensive blitzball, tell that bugger he owes me another one."

Lulu laughed, a real laugh. A laugh he had not heard in so long that the moment seemed surreal, but it did not matter, this moment was his. He smiled up at her, his eyes sliding to the blackened mess of her shoulder.

"Lu! Lu, he caught you—you're bleeding!"

* * *

"Oh that, it's just a cut." Lulu said weakly, the exertion and loss of blood beginning to make itself known. She felt dizzy. Wakka was swimming now in her vision and she lightly shook her head to clear it, but this only seemed to make matters worse. 

A great hissing sound dragged Wakka and Lulu's attentions to the broken, bleeding beast that Auron knelt beside. He stepped back from his careful inspection of the creature as it cracked and fizzed, before ultimately exploding into pyreflies. The red-cloaked guardian stood frozen a moment before turning to the pair behind him, apparently reaching some unforeseen conclusion.

"So," Auron came up to them, sheathing his katana, "which of you should I carry?"

Auron had, on Wakka's request, taken up Lulu. She protested but the arguments were swallowed by her being lifted into the air and she did not fight him. Her shoulder was screaming in pain, her vision beginning to blacken at the edges. She bit her lip, forcing herself to stay conscious. Auron's arms were strong, she felt so small in his hold; so protected.

She numbly heard the older guardian ask if Wakka was all right to carry himself. The latter replied that he had a sprained wrist and ankle, but should be able to make the ascent himself. A spine of worry threaded into Lulu's mind, but this was easily eradicated by a sudden jarring movement that sent pain lancing through her once more.

The mage seized at one of his sleeves by his wrist with her less injured arm; purple nails digging in at each miscalculated step. The red-cloaked guardian seemed to note this and chose his footing more carefully, still hurrying up the incline; Wakka struggling to keep up, clutching at one of his sides and muttering curses. Auron shouted encouragement to Wakka, checking back every so often to make sure the redhead had not fallen too far behind, and murmuring words of reassurance to the woman in his arms.

Lulu had shut her eyes by the time the ground had become blissfully flat once more as still they ran through to forest back to camp. Tidus' voice carried out over the air.

"Hey, we heard noise and the fighting—what happened?"

"Lulu!" Yuna had shouted, seeing her friend badly injured.

The black mage did not hear anymore as she finally fell into complete darkness.

Lulu came to beside the fire, for a split second a panic seized her, thinking the great beast was there above her, but she recognized the campfire a moment later.

"Hey guys, she's awake!" Tidus shouted loud enough to wake monsters in neighboring forests. Apparently, he was happy to have her back. There were sounds of shuffling and bodies positioning themselves around her.

"Lulu, are you all right?" Yuna said above her.

"Yes," the mage responded softly, too sore to move unnecessarily. She dimly noted a pillow had placed beneath her head.

"Thank goodness!" Yuna beamed down at her, touching Lulu lightly on her newly mended shoulder. The wound had been cleaned and neatly patched up, nearly healed, thanks to Yuna's concise work.

"What was it that attacked you?" Rikku asked from Lulu's right.

"A mythical creature." Auron grunted from the tree line, walking up to join the group. Everyone looked at him, including Lulu. "That was not a normal fiend, it was something that I believed. until now, to be a fictional beast. I had heard of the stories with Jecht and Braska about monsters that were physical manifestations of pent up and released emotions; usually anger." Auron's head inclined slightly to glance down at the mage. "It was said that the person would feel a release or emptiness after the creature is born, then the beast will seek its creator and try to destroy him. Others that get in the way are generally ignored and on very rare occasions, protect certain people that are special to the creator." Auron's head turned slightly in the former blitzball captain's direction. "But once defeated, the creature will dissolve into nothing and the person who had 'created' it should feel more at peace. How do you feel, Lulu?"

The mage managed a wry smile.

"Hungry."

A chorus of laughter rang in the forest; laughs filled with relief and happiness.

"That makes two of us!" Wakka slapped a thigh with a hand that was not wrapped in bandages, Rikku chorusing in at third and Tidus after.

The group split and went about to work on a late dinner, though Wakka stayed behind. Lulu looked over to him, smiling faintly. He returned the smile.

"Wakka," she reached a hand up to him. He obediently knelt at her side, taking her hand in his. She squeezed his hand and pulled herself to sit up, wrapping him in a startled hug. "I am so glad you are safe." She whispered into his neck, continuing even more softly, "I…I could not bear to lose you too."

Wakka hugged her more tightly.

"I'm here, ya? No worries," he said. "But no more summoning mystical fiends that will come to get you—you got me all scared. Good thing I brought extra pants with me."

Lulu chuckled against him.

"That much I can promise."

No one saw the eldest guardian silently observe the tender scene with a knowing eye, before drifting back into the shadows of the forest once more.

* * *

**Author's Note: My sincerest of apologies for taking so long to update. I don't have any good excuse...writer's block just hung over this chapter like black clouds and I left it sitting for a good while. But at long last, an update, and most likely an end. This story came out more Wakka and Lulu than Lulu and Auron, though I do have that in there! Gah, I fear I threw Auron horrifically out of character with those long drabbling speeches and heartfelt talks. I just could not, for the life of me, get those down to a few, cynical words, which is more like Auron. I hope that doesn't detract from the story too much...**

**I am not sure if my explanation for Lulu's wild behavior is not sufficient enough for some, but I'VE certainly had those days...haha! Just got a chimera ready to burst out of my chest those times. **

**My endings have been horrible lately, don't mind it so much, eh? Unless I get enough inspiration or pokes from people who want to see this continued, I'm finished here.**

**My mum actually had a dream once where she was holding my brother and I over the side of the building and she couldn't bear both of our weight, so she had to drop one of us. She woke up crying. I suppose that inspired some of the story and how Lulu reacted to the whole situation.**

**Anywho, I still accept constructive criticism, but don't be too brutal! Haha! I'll happily take reviews!**

**Blackfire 18**


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